Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A ninth person has been charged in connection with an ongoing investigation into the theft of U.S. Treasury tax refund checks in eastern and central Massachusetts, federal authorities announced on April 10.
Victor Vasquez, 40, of Gardner, faces a complaint alleging theft of approximately $988,000 in government funds. He was arrested and released on conditions after appearing in federal court in Boston. In June 2025, eight other individuals were charged with theft of government funds or bank fraud related to about $8.8 million worth of stolen Treasury checks.
Charging documents state that Vasquez deposited a Treasury check for $988,744—originally issued to another taxpayer but altered to list his name as payee—into a credit union account belonging to Victor Northeast Construction, LLC, a business he had closed years before. Authorities allege that shortly after the deposit, Vasquez transferred $8,000 to another bank account under his control to pay outstanding loan balances. When questioned by the credit union about the source of the funds, Vasquez allegedly claimed it was a tax refund for his business; however, investigators say his business was not incorporated during the relevant tax year and no tax return had been filed on its behalf.
The charge carries potential penalties including up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo from Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations; Michael Carpenter from Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and Jason Buckley from U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division jointly announced these developments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto is prosecuting the case.
Authorities emphasized that "the details contained in the charging document are allegations" and that "the defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law."
